Enjoy a sundowner drink with an unbeatable backdrop: the wildebeest migration.

Wildebeest Migration Safari

Natural phenomena occur all over the world but few can compete with the annual Masai Mara/Serengeti wildebeest migration. The numbers alone are hard to believe: up to two million animals - wildebeest as well as zebra and gazelles - move clockwise around this enormous ecosystem, driven by ancient instincts to find fresh grazing and water.

It's drama on a truly epic scale: the migrating herds undergo all manner of challenges and hardships as they move from region to region, and are constantly under attack from predators, none more so than from Africa's big cats and the notoriously huge crocodiles that lie in wait at various river crossing points.

You'll need to plan your visit carefully: the wildebeest migration is a fluid, dynamic affair taking place between two countries - Kenya and Tanzania - and subject to the timing of that year's rains. It's also an event of different experiences: depending on where you are and at what time, you may see the wildebeest herds giving birth and courting, moving in great dusty columns, or funnelling across muddy rivers.

There's plenty of well-located accommodation both in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti to enable you to experience the migration, and nearly all scheduled tours and safaris to either country include excursions into the two conservation areas. Click on our where to go for the wildebeest migration feature for information on getting your location right, and then to ensure you're in the right place at the right time by checking our when to go section.

Alternatively, for a faultless wildebeest migration safari, work with one of our African Safari Experts to create a tailor-made itinerary based on your requirements. Their knowledge and experience of the migration means you'll be in safe hands to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event.

View our video on the right for an animated depiction of the timing of the Wildebeest Migration.